[Thespiritexpress] Messages ~

Tue Feb 11 22:31:47 PST 2025

This Nisargadatta piece is from a new friend ~ not intended for Sp. Ex. ~ my mistake. ~ ~~~~ ~~~~ my reply ~ was the Sp. Ex.  ~ “ Message. “  

Interesting piece  ~ she is 27 from Mexico City ~~ studying for a masters in business at Duke U. ~

So  ~~~~ this is the first time that I’m seeing it. ~ ( that it got attached ) ~ !! ~~~~ ~~ and I thought the response was to what I wrote ~ !!!  Ha ha ~ !!  ~ 🙏💛⚡️

This is what it looked like coming to me. ~
 <https://medium.com/plans?dimension=post_audio_button&postId=4e7e7c944077&source=upgrade_membership---post_audio_button---------------------------------->
Whenever someone asked the Indian guru Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj about the world 

— Why is the world like this? Why is there suffering? — his response was never direct. Instead, he would begin by asking:  ~~~ “Which world are you referring to?”

My friend Marc meditating in Mendocino, California. Source: Taken by author.

With this question, he made a crucial distinction: there isn’t just one “world.” There is your world — the world of your thoughts, emotions, and personal experiences — and then there is the physical world, the objective reality of matter. Most people assume they are talking about a single, external reality, but in truth, what we experience as “the world” is entirely personal. It is shaped by our minds, beliefs, and conditioning.

This perspective finds an interesting parallel in the work of sociologist Peter Berger, whose concept of nomos describes how societies construct shared realities. If Nisargadatta Maharaj’s focus was on the individual mind’s projection, Berger explored how entire societies build collective worlds — ones that feel just as real and absolute as an individual’s personal reality.

Together, these perspectives suggest something profound: the world is not something “out there” — it is something we create, both individually and collectively. Recognizing this can…

> On Feb 11, 2025, at 7:13 PM, Lydia Rand via Thespiritexpress <thespiritexpress at lists.mcn.org> wrote:
> 
> Perfectly stated ad very helpful indeed!
> 
>> On Feb 10, 2025, at 8:01 PM, Yasskin Marc via Thespiritexpress <thespiritexpress at lists.mcn.org> wrote:
>> 
>>>> The World Is Just Your World: Nisargadatta Maharaj, Peter Berger, and the Illusion of Reality
>>>> 
>>>> Whenever someone asked the Indian guru Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj about the world — Why is the world like this? Why is there suffering? — his response was never direct. Instead, he would begin by asking:
>>>> 
>>>> “Which world are you referring to?”
>>>> 
>>>> <IMG_4168.jpeg>
>>>> 
>>>> With this question, he made a crucial distinction: there isn’t just one “world.” There is your world — the world of your thoughts, emotions, and personal experiences — and then there is the physical world, the objective reality of matter. Most people assume they are talking about a single, external reality, but in truth, what we experience as “the world” is entirely personal. It is shaped by our minds, beliefs, and conditioning.
>>>> 
>>>> This perspective finds an interesting parallel in the work of sociologist Peter Berger, whose concept of nomos describes how societies construct shared realities. If Nisargadatta Maharaj’s focus was on the individual mind’s projection, Berger explored how entire societies build collective worlds — ones that feel just as real and absolute as an individual’s personal reality.
>>>> 
>>>> Together, these perspectives suggest something profound: the world is not something “out there” — it is something we create, both individually and collectively.Recognizing this can free us from unnecessary suffering and allow us to engage with life from a place of deeper awareness.
>>>> 
>>>> Why the World Is Personal
>>>> 
>>>> Nisargadatta Maharaj insisted that what we experience as “the world” is not an external, fixed reality, but a projection of our mind. Two people can be in the same physical environment yet live in completely different “worlds” based on their perceptions, beliefs, and emotional states.
>>>> For example, imagine two people walking through the same city:
>>>> 
>>>> One is feeling anxious, overwhelmed by work stress, and irritated by the noise and crowds.
>>>> The other is feeling peaceful, appreciating the energy of the city, and noticing small details that bring joy.
>>>> Even though they are in the same physical world, they are living in completely different personal worlds.
>>>> 
>>>> Maharaj described this world-making process as a mental habit. We accumulate experiences, create memories, and attach meanings to things — soon, we mistake this personal filter for reality itself. His key insight is that the world is not something you live in; it’s a fiction you create.
>>>> 
>>>> Berger’s Nomos: How We Internalize Reality
>>>> 
>>>> While Nisargadatta focused on the mind’s role in shaping personal reality, Peter Berger explored how society constructs a shared world that feels just as real. His concept of nomos describes the set of social rules, institutions, and belief systems that provide structure and meaning to human life.
>>>> Berger argued that from birth, people are socialized into a specific version of reality. This happens through parents, education, culture, religion, and law, all of which shape the way we see the world. Over time, what was originally a learned perspectivebecomes something we take for granted as absolute.
>>>> 
>>>> For instance:
>>>> 
>>>> A person raised in a deeply religious environment may see life as a moral journey shaped by divine will.
>>>> A person raised in a highly individualistic society may see life as a competition for personal success.
>>>> Even though these perspectives are not inherent realities but social constructs, they become “real” to the person who has internalized them. Just as Nisargadatta explains how personal perception shapes individual reality, Berger shows how social institutions shape collective reality— both leading people to mistake their “world” for something objective.
>>>> 
>>>> Nomos Is Not “Bad” — But It Is Fragile
>>>> 
>>>> Berger did not argue that nomos is inherently bad. In fact, he saw it as necessary for social stability — without it, people would experience anomie (a state of normlessness and existential disorientation). Nomos helps societies function by providing order and meaning.
>>>> However, he also recognized that nomos is artificial and fragile. It only exists as long as people believe in it and reinforce it through social interaction. When someone questions or breaks away from their social reality — through personal crisis, travel, or deep philosophical inquiry — it can be deeply unsettling.
>>>> 
>>>> This is where Berger’s analysis aligns with Nisargadatta’s teaching: both show that what we take to be “the world” is just one version of reality, and recognizing this can lead to either fear or liberation.
>>>> 
>>>> Bridging the Two Perspectives: Abiding in Awareness
>>>> 
>>>> So if both our personal world (Nisargadatta) and our shared world (Berger) are constructed, how should we engage with life? Rather than getting lost in illusion or fighting against it, Maharaj suggests something simpler: abide in awareness.
>>>> Instead of clinging to our mental projections or social identities, we can step back and observe the one constant behind all experiences — awareness itself.
>>>> 
>>>> How to Apply This in Daily Life: Meditation as the Key Practice
>>>> 
>>>> Realizing that the world is not fixed but a mental and social construct can transform the way we live. Here’s how to integrate this understanding into daily life:
>>>> 1. When You Feel Stuck, Ask: “Which World Am I Referring To?”
>>>> 
>>>> If something is upsetting you, pause and ask: Am I reacting to the actual world, or to my interpretation of it?
>>>> Recognizing this difference can help you detach from unnecessary suffering.
>>>> 2. Observe How Awareness Is Always Free
>>>> 
>>>> Meditation allows you to notice that no matter what happens in your personal or social world, awareness itself remains untouched.
>>>> Thoughts, emotions, and social roles come and go, but the observer — pure consciousness — remains constant.
>>>> Instead of getting caught in the illusion of “the world,” turn inward and abide in the awareness that perceives it.
>>>> 3. Challenge Socially Constructed Realities
>>>> 
>>>> Notice how much of your reality has been shaped by culture, education, and social expectations.
>>>> Ask yourself: Do I truly believe this, or was I taught to believe it?
>>>> This doesn’t mean rejecting society — it means engaging with it more consciously.
>>>> 4. Play the Game, But Don’t Take It Too Seriously
>>>> 
>>>> You don’t have to withdraw from life — just don’t get lost in it.
>>>> Engage in work, relationships, and personal growth, but remember that none of these define who you truly are.
>>>> Conclusion: Waking Up to a Bigger Truth
>>>> 
>>>> Both Nisargadatta Maharaj and Peter Berger reveal a powerful truth: the world we experience is not absolute — it is shaped by our mind (personal world) and by society (shared world). This realization can feel unsettling at first, but it also points to a profound freedom.
>>>> Instead of being trapped in your world, or blindly following the world, you can step back and watch the whole thing unfold — not with fear, but with clarity. And when you do, you might just discover that what you truly are is beyond all worlds — the pure awareness in which all worlds appear.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>  <https://medium.com/tag/meditation?source=post_page-----4e7e7c944077-------------------------------->
>> 
> 
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